Somalilanguage

Somalilanguage, commonly referred to as Somali, is a Cushitic language spoken by the Somali people in Somalia and by diaspora communities across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It functions as a primary means of daily communication and is widely used in education, media, and public life in Somali-speaking regions.

It belongs to the Afroasiatic language family, within the Cushitic branch. Somali is one of the best-documented Cushitic languages and has a standardized form used in schooling and broadcasting. The language employs a rich system of affixes and particles to mark tense, aspect, mood, number, and case, and it generally follows a subject–verb–object order in simple clauses, with flexibility arising from clitics and word order variations.

Somali has several regional varieties. Major dialect groups include Northern Somali, Benadir, and Digil–Mirifle (the southern varieties). A standard form used in education and media is largely based on Northern Somali, but regional differences remain significant in everyday speech.

Writing systems: Since the 1970s, Somali has been written predominantly with a Latin-based orthography established for official use and education. Earlier scripts include Osmanya, created in the 1920s, which was once promoted as a national script, and the Arabic script, which remains in religious contexts.

Distribution and status: Somali is the most widely spoken language in Somalia and Somaliland and is a key marker of cultural and national identity for the Somali people. It is spoken by millions in the Horn of Africa and by diaspora communities worldwide, and it continues to evolve with ongoing efforts to standardize terminology for modern domains such as technology and science.